Clery Crimes Definitions

Murder and Non Negligent Manslaughter: The willful killing of one human being by another.

Negligent Manslaughter: The killing of another person through gross negligence.

Sex Offense – Forcible: Any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent (forcible rape; forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object; and forcible fondling).

Robbery: The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.

Aggravated Assault: An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault is usually accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. (It is not necessary for an injury to result when a gun, knife, or other weapon is used in the commission of the crime.)

Burglary: The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. (For reporting purposes this definition includes: unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safecracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.)

Motor Vehicle Theft: The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. (Classify a motor vehicle theft for all cases where automobiles are taken by persons not having lawful access even though the vehicles are later abandoned – including joyriding.)

Arson: Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

Domestic Violence: Felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies, or by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction.

Dating Violence: Violence committed by a person (A) who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and (B) where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors:

(i) The length of the relationship

(ii) The type of relationship

(iii) The frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.

Stalking: Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to (A) fear for his or her safety or the safety of others; or (B) suffer substantial emotional distress.

Hate Crime: Criminal offense committed against a person or property which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias. Bias is a performed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, or gender identity. Hate crimes include those crimes (defined above) and larceny, simple assault, intimidation, and the destruction/damage/vandalism of property (defined below).

Larceny: The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.

Intimidation: To unlawfully place another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack.

Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property: To willfully or maliciously destroy, damage, deface, or otherwise injure real or personal property without the consent of the owner or the persons having custody or control of it.